Aloha everyone, I will be spending 4 days in Miami Florida in early December and I was wondering if there are any tiki bars there or if there is any tiki-type stuff that I should plan on seeing. Thanks!
_________________Make mine a mai tai!

I worked on a four month film shoot in Miami, FL back in 2000 and can honestly say that I found no trace of any leftover Tiki there. I was able to find some old artifacts (matchbooks, postcards, etc.) of Tiki places that are no longer there. It doesn't help you for your trip, but for common knowledge, here's he addresses of the ones I know of:

Club Bali (pre-Tiki – 1940s)
8th St. & Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL

The Beachcomber Resort Motel
189th St.
Miami, FL

Hawaiian Isle
Miami, FL

The 600 Club
600 N.E. 13th St.
Miami, FL

The Tahiti Bar
4-23rd St.
Miami, FL

While you're in Miami, I second the recommendation for you to drive up about 45 minutes to Ft. Lauderdale and visit the Mai Kai. It is the best surviving Tiki bar in America, bar NONE!

I QUADRUPLE that suggestion to drive to the Mai Kai. If you've never been there, you're missing out on one of the last great original Tiki temples. May not be quite up to it's original glory, but for being right next door to a La-Z-Boy Factory Store, you'll swear you left the mainland and washed up on some distant shore. http://www.maikai.com

There is one stop you MUST make while in Miami: Parrot Jungle. This is the kind of entertainment our parents and grandparents enjoyed, still in near mint condition. It's from the era of the Tiki Gardens. While not Tiki themed in any way (although we did see a parrot named Tiki), it is a gorgeous little park/zoo/botanical gardens that shouldn't be missed. Especially because, due to the growth of the city and zoning, Parrot Jungle is relocating in a year to an island (see the Web site)... which sounds very cool, but the 70-year growth of the plantlife and the orignal buildings and stone-and-tilework of the sidewalks in the original park can never be replaced. See it while you can! If you like jungle life, you'll love this little treasure. http://www.parrotjungle.com

Thank you all so much for the tiki advice for my trip to Miami. I will definately go to the Mai Kai, I cant even sleep at night I'm so psyched! I will also check out Parrot Jungle and the other former tiki places listed. Once again, thanks!
_________________Make mine a mai tai!

When you drive towards the Mai Kai at night it's like the first time you went to Disneyland as a kid - at least it was for me and my companions. You see the sign appear on the horizon (it's most magical after dark) then as you get closer you start to make out the buildings and gardens and then you start to hear the cascading waterfalls and see the larger tikis in front and the burning torches and colored lights and you realize how huge a place it is and then you turn into the driveway and proceed over the wooden bridge that makes a rumbling noise and the valet takes the keys to your chariot and you excitedly head for the front door - but you want to go around the outside and take a closer look - you can do that later - you just want to run around inside like a little kid into each room that are named after islands in the South Pacific but you get stopped by the attentive but friendly maitre'd who asks if you have reservations and you reply "Yes, I have reservations for dinner and the 9:30 show" and he asks if you would like to wait in the bar until your table is ready - like he had to ask - so you head for the Molokai Lounge and it feels like stepping into the cabin of an old clipper ship and you find a table and then a lovely wahine in a skimpy top and sarong in tropical print hands you your menu and you can't believe the variety of drinks (or the prices) and you just want to order all of them but you order only one and you look at the water running down the outside of the windows like rain even though it wasn't raining outside (?) and there is the sound of thunder outside too but after a while you realize it's the rumbling of the wooden bridge you drove over coming in and so on.

The feeling is similar to the way the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland felt when I was a kid. All dark and cool and mysterious and exciting,
_________________

YES! I went to the Mai Kai for the first time about a year and a half ago, and I can't believe how EXACTLY that description would match mine. It's so true! When you hear about the tiki past, you can understand how others might think it sounds somewhat trite or cheesy to have hung out in a tiki temple in your lucky aloha shirt sipping a Mai Tai... but if you need to convert someone to tiki or convince yourself of the true mana of it all... Mai Kai's the place.

(I know we've convinced you at this point, I'm just talking about Mai Kai now because it brings back such great memories!)

Call ahead. Make reservations. It's not really a walk-in kind of place, unless you're just going to the sunken ship bar. You'll want to get there early, get your car parked, walk through the gardens, order food, enjoy the show and have a couple of drinks. And, of course, hit the gift shop. I'm SO jealous. Take me with you!
_________________Reever
reever@hotmail.com

On 2002-11-12 04:02, BC-Da-Da wrote:I worked on a four month film shoot in Miami, FL back in 2000 and can honestly say that I found no trace of any leftover Tiki there. I was able to find some old artifacts (matchbooks, postcards, etc.) of Tiki places that are no longer there. It doesn't help you for your trip, but for common knowledge, here's he addresses of the ones I know of:

Club Bali (pre-Tiki – 1940s)
8th St. & Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL

Found this topic while looking for info on the Club Bali. I have a picture of my wife's grandparents at this club circa 1943-44 and it's one of those 6x8 B&W photographs that clubs used to take of the patrons and sell to them. My wife's grandfather is in his U.S. Coast Guard uniform and there are a slew of shot glasses and beer glasses on the table. Everybody's smoking, of course and the Club Bali must have been a "family friendly" place because in the background is a waiter serving what looks to be an at the most, a 12-year-old kid at the table behind my wife's (newlywed) grandparents.

An important preservation item has been placed on the Miami Beach City Commission's agenda for its June meeting on Wednesday 06 June, with an agenda time of 4:40 pm.

At issue is the fate of a ceiling mural located in the Macy's store on 17th Street and Meridian Avenue.
When Burdine's opened a new Miami Beach store at that location in late 1953 (Robert Law Weed, architect), the Raymond Loewy interior was dominated by an elaborate ceiling mural designed to bring the beach and ocean ambiance indoors.
The mural features starfish, seahorses, sea turtles, mermaids, and even a "mer-poodle," all in a whimsical style that perfectly captured the style and sophistication of post-war Miami Beach.

Macy's Florida has embarked on a renovation of the store, and while their stated goal is a "Macy's South Beach" store that captures the unique characteristics of Miami Beach, this glorious mural has been consigned to the trash bin. Store officals had originally committed to retaining the mural, so their subsequent decision to destroy it is disappointing, especially since the mural creates a retail environment unlike any other in the world.

We would like to ask for your attendance at the Commission meeting to voice support for the retention and restoration of the mural.
The agenda item has been scheduled for this Wednesday at 4:40 pm in the City Commission Chambers.

Monkey Jungle is very much in full swing. I recommend calling them to confirm their summer hours.

Two things have occured with Parrot Jungle.
Parrot Jungle itself moved to Watson Island, which is a barrier island on the way to Miami Beach. Thus the new name of Parrot Jungle Island. Its a been a few years since the move, so its likely to be fine now that its shaken out the initial woes and flying away performing parrots. Just a warning, be prepared to drop some cash. There is a parking charge on top of the admission. Not exactly cheap as it used to be.

However, the old site of Parrot Jungle is very lovely and very visitable. The city where the old location resides took it over and calls it Pinecrest Gardens. Its wonderfully lush and very worthy of a visit.